Rating: 7 / 10

When Thrice announced their extremely ambitious 4-part concept record about the Earth’s elements, some people were bummed. Especially those who used to love their unique blend of technical punk rock and metal.

Those people would probably be better off listening to something else instead of their newest release. This is not a bad album by any means, but it certainly is not a Thrice record. Gone are the guitar riffs that could peel the paint off a house and the breakneck speeds.

There are good songs on this album, in fact, “The Sky is Falling,” “Broken Lungs” and “Digging My Own Grave” are all great, but for different reasons. “The Sky is Falling” rocks in a rare way that seems like it is not showing off anymore, but instead focusing on creating unique, technical arrangements. “Broken Lungs” transitions from soft to loud perfectly, and “Digging My Own Grave” feels like an admittedly cool Tom Waits B-Side.

The most dramatic thing about this album is the style that Thrice has throughout, or to be more precise, the lack of consistent style. “As the Crow Flies” is a light, Beatles-esque acoustic song and “Silver Wings” pulses with a light electronic beat. As shocking as it is to say, both methods are effective.

Thrice has proven that while they may not be able to write a classic masterpiece, they are still incredible musicians with diverse talents as well as influences, and those influences are on display here.

So, maybe it would be a wise idea to pick up the new Thrice album and give it a spin. Even if people have soured on Thrice for their last few albums, this whole “Alchemy Index” was an experiment that actually worked.